


Don't You Dare Forget the Sun

by foreverinprinxietyhell



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Acephobia, Age Difference, Anxiety, Apologies, Arguing, Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Demisexuality, Disowned, Flashbacks, Forced Relationship, Gender Fluid Character, Getting to Know Each Other, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romantic Friendship, Starting a new life, Threats of Violence, Trauma, Triggers, getting out of a bad situation, kicked out, protective friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-04-01 06:06:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13992075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foreverinprinxietyhell/pseuds/foreverinprinxietyhell





	Don't You Dare Forget the Sun

“You can trust me until the end.”

Naive, young, and desperate to be taken in by somebody, Virgil had believed that statement despite a cramping, empty gut twisting in disgust as white scales split a smile into a menacing smirk. What had he gotten himself into? 

In the beginning of his stay at the old wooden house that his rescuer resided seemed too good to be true, for he had never been allowed such huge spreads of food since he had been disowned by unaccepting parents. Though ribs showed through pale, emaciated skin underneath a heavy plaid purple hoodie the young boy disregarded a shrunken stomach as scalding hot meat, potatoes, and carrots were scarfed down chased by bread slathered in butter; breathing heavily after finishing the food, silent tears tumbled down a dusty cheek in an act of gratitude. 

“Go clean up, we can’t have anyone in this house looking like a filthy commoner.” 

“Sir, I don’t have any clothes to change into.”

“You’ll find plenty of outfits in the room that you’ll be using. I’ve outgrown quite a number of them through my days.”

“Y-Your room? I couldn’t…”

“We’ll be in the same room,” Deceit stated simply, a golden eye glinting with amusement at the reaction it gained, “You’re here under my permission, so I must keep an eye on you.” 

Gulping gently at the implications, he gave a silent nod before disappearing down the hall once directed to the shared bedroom and looking through a closet filled with an assortment of darkly shaded shirts that were close enough to a style he once wore, yet there were no long-sleeves. Trembling at the thought of exposing forearms tattered in what an untrained eye would assume were simple scratches earned from a stray cat, the fresher cuts coming from rusty chain-linked fences or an occasional overhanging tree branch; there was no telling how the older man would react, but upon recently meeting a new person he did not want to risk a negative reaction. 

_“Virgil!”_ the cold, calculated tone called out from behind, startling the youngling so badly that he dropped a heather grey shirt finally selected, whimpering as sharp fingernails dug into the scabbed over skin, “What is the meaning of this?!”

“I-I…” 

“Spit it out, child…”

“I’ve never been enough, so what does it matter?”

“Tsk tsk that simply won’t do. I brought you here for a reason, yet you still believe that.”

Hot, silent tears blinded dark brown eyes as he peeked up through thick eyelashes at the host watching every movement as if stalking prey before striking like a snake. Not thinking of the consequences that may follow, Virgil fell forward and buried his face into the thick petticoat as cries came in waves, clinging on even though the gentleman could be felt trying to pull away from the affectionate act. 

“Careful child, we don’t want anything to stain especially that pretty face of yours.”

“Sorry, I-” 

“Shh, I’ll forgive you for now. Let’s get you into bed, you must be exhausted.”

“Sir?” he dared to ask, sniffling away a dribble of snot, pale cheeks turning salmon as he braced to ask the next question, “Do we have to sleep together? I’m not used to sharing a bed with other people…”

“You’ll learn to love it, my dear.”

Without further inspection the homeless boy simply accepted the fact that there was nowhere else for the older one to go at night, yet that had been a misguided mistake to make. Skin crawling as if worms had imbedded into nearly translucent skin only to be lost as tunnels were dug further underneath the surface; the cycle continued with mornings of being blamed for not wanting to eat more than one meal, paranoia persuading a pounding heart to nearly fly out of a bony cage that ended in panic attacks that were not taken seriously, nights ending with him lying in a pool of cold sweat contemplating death. 

Endless weeks of a rigid routine eventually wore down even the most durable of souls, which left Virgil surviving on only four hours of sleep if there were no nightmares while the thin frame quaking as anxiety amounted to an abyss that would swallow him from the inside out. Taught to avoid anyone who came over for visits he was overlooked even though he was often on display, yet one day when Deceit was too busy to notice there was a knocking at an old oaken door he had been introduced to a fatherly figure who radiated a warmth that had not been felt since having his first full meal at the manor. 

“Why, hello there!” the newcomer greeted in a chipper manner, wide smile seeming to be permanently on his face, “I don’t believe we’ve met before, I’m Patton.”

“I’m Virgil.”

“That’s quite a lovely name. What’re you doing here, hon?”

“Deceit took me in,” the younger one stated in a small voice, looking over his shoulder once the clicking of heeled boots echoed against the floorboards, “Sorry, sir, I must go now.”

“There’s no need, you can stay!”

“Brother…”

“Oh, come on Dee, he’s so sweet.”

“You think that now…”

Perplexed by the claim, Patton refused to relinquish wanting to include the younger one into what was supposed to be private bonding time between siblings, the sinister one seething in silence as the complete opposite of his personality proposed questions to learn more about Virgil. Upon learning that the boy had been thrown out without warning due to preferences in partners of the same gender, the paternal person pulled him into a huge hug while cooing sympathetically, “You poor little anxious baby…”

“He doesn’t have anxiety, Pat.”

“Seems like it to me.”

“What would you know? You just met.”

“Have you gotten any help for it, hon?” 

Gritting his teeth as the glimpse of a glare was caught in peripheral vision, Virgil was caught off guard by a wave of worry that sunk sharpened claws deeply into the sensitive soul barely still intact. An answer formed on slightly chapped lips, yet a golden rod glove dismissed the attempt as he was instructed to go clean an overflowing pile of dishes despite the additional presence watching without judgement. Quietly conceding to do the task patchwork sleeves were pushed to both bony elbows, hissing as a half healed gash stung when suds seeped into the affected area even though he showed no signs of stopping.

“Deceit, what happened to his arms?”

“Oh, he’s gotten into a few accidents since he arrived. It’s nothing to concern yourself over.”

“There are cuts all over his forearms and some look infected!”

“You’re overreacting, brother…”

“No, I’m not!” Patton exclaimed in a shrill voice, abandoning his seat to approach the teenager to take him away from the blistering hot water before scooping him into thin, but stable arms, “C’mon kiddo, you’re coming home with me.” 

“Stealing my pet, are we?”

“Virgil’s a _person!_ ”

“Not as far as I’m concerned…”

Appalled by that answer, the moral side did not hesitate taking the hostage away from the miserable mess of a home, slowly stroking down shaking shoulders as he promised that there would be no more harm to come. Entering a pastel colored room, the new addition was laid onto a somewhat disheveled coverlet where a collection of stuffed animals crowded against the bubblegum wall before busying with bringing out a first aid kit as comforting comments were made while each tender pink line was tended to with the utmost care, “This might sting a little. Be brave for me, okay?”

“Yes sir…”

“Honey, no, you can call me Dad. O-Or if you’re not comfortable with that, Patton is just fine,” he explained, remembering how the other had trust issues with parental figures, a look of pain distorting his face as if the rubbing alcohol had been applied to wounds he did not have, “I’m so sorry sweetie, but it’ll help.”

“It doesn’t hurt as badly as I expected.” 

“Don’t say such things, it breaks my heart already that this happened.”

“I deserved it…”

“No one does, Verge. Especially not this…” 

Falling into speechlessness at the selfless act being carried out to help cure some pain caused as consequence for carving blood soaked patterns into formerly smooth skin, bracing for a lecture about how harming oneself should not be an option that he had heard repeated by his former guardian, “P-Patton?”

“One minute, kiddo,” he mused, concentration heavily focused on wrapping an ace bandage around nearly non-existent wrists though he did not seem content with the outcome, “That should do in the meantime. What did you want to ask?”

“Why did you save me? I’m hardly worth the effort.”

“You are perfect and special just the way you are!”

Taken aback by being told such a statement in a fiercely loving voice, Virgil dared not to argue any further in fear of upsetting the older person unintentionally; this person had known of his existence barely an hour and had taken him away from a man that could no longer be trusted, had cleaned the infected areas amidst scar tissue and did not scold him. He dared not voice the thought of how this sincerity was not deserved, for this was a debt that could not be repaid no matter how hard he tried. 

“It’s late, why don’t you get some rest and I’ll check on you tomorrow?”

“This is your room, so are you going to sleep with me?”

“You deserve personal space after whatever it is Deceit did. You don’t have to talk about it, but I want you to have support.”

“...He chased my hips without permission.” the anxious one muttered in a nearly inaudible whisper, bracing for a reaction that would blame him for not fighting off the offender.

“Oh honey… Please don’t ever think it’s your fault, you didn’t know what would happen,” Patton mused in an equally gentle tone, reaching out for one of the upturned palms, hesitating, and lacing their fingers once permission was given, “You’re safe here, I promise. Other people live here and I’ll introduce you, but they won’t hurt you.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“We’ll work up to that, okay? Right now, let’s get some rest. I’ll be in the living room if you need anything.”

“The entire length of time that Virgil had been taken into the manner by the snake-like fiend he had begged to be shown a sign that there would be someone brave enough to come to the rescue; hope had dwindled to a thin thread, yet it had not faded completely, the endurance having paid off in the long run throughout those few months where the cold, white walls of a darkened mind nearly swallowed his sanity. 

Expecting to awake at the break of dawn the young one had stayed curled under a light blue blanket thirty-five minutes past noon, waking with a start once full consciousness returned to make him aware that there was another presence in the room. Whimpering loudly, he flinched away from the other perched on the mattress’ edge instinctively when the soft yellow glow of a lamp caused him to focus on the face furrowed in concern as calming words were exchanged, “It’s only me, sweetie. I hope you don’t mind, but I went ahead and changed your dressings.”

Not thinking rationally, Virgil barreled into the cardigan covered chest as his face buried into the fabric to muffle mewls stained with sorrow, arms wrapping loosely around a thin waist to draw him closer, “I-I thought…”

“I know, baby boy, I wouldn’t have barged in on you, but I wanted to keep my word.” 

“It’s alright… T-Thank you, by the way.”

“Of course. How about you come downstairs for lunch and meet one of my friends?”

“Sure, I guess… You said he’s nice?”

“Mhm. Takes him a little while to warm up to new people, but he’s a good egg.” 

Rolling out from under the layer of sheets the younger one reached for a lone pair of slightly ripped skinny jeans when his hand was swatted delicately so as not to cause another uncomfortable situation from happening. Confused as to what was wrong Virgil cocked his head to the side as an eyebrow raised upward, not knowing what to do since he had no other belongings other than the clothes on his back when a pair of sweats were offered and borrowed reluctantly. 

Upon entering the dining room wafting scents of freshly made muffins attracted the young boy over to a lukewarm stove where a tin of treats were cooling. Reaching out to take one without thinking he flinched violently as an unknown person came up to him suddenly to put a steady hand on a shaky shoulder, “We’re waiting for Roman. Why don’t you come sit with me while Patton gets him?”

“Who…?” he began to ask, thrown off by a similar looking pair of glasses that belonged to someone already dressed in a black button down, slacks and a dark blue tie, feet clad in constellation covered socks, “Oh, you must be Logan.”

“That’s my name don’t wear it out.”

“I don’t think I will considering that I just learned about it.”

“Ah, of course, such a simple oversight on my part.”

“Are you a teacher?”

“College professor, I teach astronomy.”

Perplexed by learning about the acquaintance he slowly warmed up to the scholar as he watched a red pen make corrections on an assignment, listening to the slight rant of how this particular student knew the difference between Ursa Minor and Ursa Major. About to ask how he had gotten interested in studying the cosmos their mostly silent atmosphere was disturbed by heels clicking against the tile, the last man to show dressed in a billowing white tunic, crimson satin sash, a short sword strapped to his hip in a ridiculous display that amused the newcomer.

“Good morning!” the fancifully dressed persona exclaimed in a high pitched, lively voice even as he noticed the most recent addition, “Well hello there! Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?”

“It’s Virgil, but you can call me Verge for short.”

“Well, I’d love to stay and chat more with you, but I must hurry. Got a surprise audition that I’m dying to try out!”

“He’s an actor I presume?”

“One of the best, objectively speaking.”

“If he gets the part we should go for support!” Patton piped up with pep once the man in question had left, “He’s been down on his luck for a while now, I’m sure it’d help boost his spirits seeing more than just Logan.”

“Why’s that?” the newcomer pondered aloud, cocking his head curiously at a soft blush coloring the professor’s cheeks, “Oh…”

“I hope that doesn’t make you uncomfortable.”

“Why would it? I was kicked out by my parents for a reason.”

Dealt a bad hand by being forced out weeks before graduation, Virgil had dropped out due to depression left unchecked by being unable to afford seeking help. Though his first relationship had been with the one who had taken advantage of a vulnerable position after making it seem like the stranger would actually care for him in ways that were not presented from parental figures; he was aware of how huge the age gap between them was, so he dare not mention to his housemates in case they tried to press charges against the man. Deceit had made it crystal clear that any attempt at seeking justice would be met with even worse punishment than on the nights where he was the only one who could satiate a lustful hunger. 

Trust took longer to build back up after not being able to rely on adults to appropriately care for him, yet the anxious one had not taken long to befriend the person responsible for rescuing him when all hope had been lost for so long. The two were nearly inseparable even during panic attacks that caused Virgil to remain speechless for hours on end, the boy needing space for a little while before clinging onto the moral side like a koala, soft kisses pressed into almost black hair as he was reassured how much he was loved. 

“Hey kiddo, can I see your left hand real quick?”

“I haven’t hurt myself since I’ve been here…”

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant…” Patton explained, a pained expression contorting facial features in fear of upsetting the other, digging out a woven bracelet that would have appeared to only be fading from shades of black to white with grey in the middle had it not been for the bottom stripe bringing color to life in a plum shade, “If I recall correctly my big brother wouldn’t let you express your sexuality, so I figured you could use this. It’s not the best piece of jewelry I’ve made, but I hope you like it anyway!”

“Pat… I love it, thank you.”

“Of course, hon. You deserve to be comfortable with who you are.”

Admiring the fabric added onto his body through a sheen of unshed tears, a surge of suppressed pride allowed to show through a sensitive soul as he noticed a similar accessory wrapped around the older one’s right wrist embroidered with a heart of blue, orange, and pink, “I’m not alone.”

“Never,” Patton reassured, pressing a peck against a pale cheek to wipe away a rogue tear that had trailed down to the seam between lips, “All of us are part of the community, so there’s nothing to fear.” 

Upon learning that the established couple had similar bracelets that the prince sometimes identified as a princess, a swirl of pink, white, purple, black and navy stripes wound around a thicker wrist, and the scholar was bound by twines of white as a black triangle pointed toward a stripe of purple, Virgil was able to start feeling more at home with the people becoming more his family than the ones related by blood. The dynamic was not perfect by any means, but mostly worked out even when little arguments threatened to push them apart especially when his identity was still a secret to the other two.

Roman had spent the least amount of time around the newcomer, so he had volunteered that the two have an evening together to grow closer. Wary of being around someone in close quarters without being accompanied by his best friend, Virgil was already on edge; something was bound to go wrong, he could feel the amount of outcomes rising as they sat in silence. Nervously, the younger one took to fiddling with a fringed knot tied tightly around his wrist for comfort that could only really be provided by Patton, taut muscles twitching as he felt eyes watching every move.

“Aw, Padre made you one too?” the royal resident asked, reaching forward to inspect the fabric while a slight smirk painted rosy lips, “Looks like we have another one of you among us, huh?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Oh, I didn’t mean-” Roman backtracked, caught off guard by the sudden outburst over what was a seemingly harmless comment, “It was only a joke.”

Scorned by the sincere honesty that seemed to mock his lack of sexual attraction, breathing became shallow as the edges of vision started to fade as a memory of a similar situation happening when a former flame had found out. It did not matter to Deceit, for he wanted to be the only one who felt pleasure, the newly gained information dismissed with a scoff before hollow words paralyzed the younger one: _You’ll enjoy it with the right partner. Don’t you trust me?_

Oblivious to his surroundings Virgil flailed against the arm that held him steadily in place, which only conjured more of the haunting memory to come forward as stabbing sobs radiated through his thin chest. Blinded by the steadily flowing stream he had no idea who was there aside from the prince, yet a soothing sound could be heard close by, stumbling toward the softened voice that he had come to associate with safety as bony arms wrapped around a broader waist as a lightweight article of clothing was wrapped around him. 

“Shh, baby boy, Pat’s here.” 

“Pat-Patton?” 

“Mhmmm,” he hummed gently, moving the boy into his folded lap while making sure not to touch below the small of an arched back, “I thought you and Ro were having a nice time together?”

“I might have set him off on accident…”

“What did you do, love?” the scholar asked, standing to the side in case the parent needed backup, for even though there was not quite as much of a relationship between them at least he provided Virgil with the ability to be grounded in reality.

“Well, I may have commented on how we have two asexual people in the house now after I saw his bracelet.”

“Ro…” Logan let out with a sigh, watching sympathetically as the youngest member of their family dynamic was led from the room, “It means a lot more to him than you realize.”

“How so?”

“Well, for one, it reminds Virgil that he isn’t alone especially when he wants to get away from negative thoughts by taking it out on himself.”

“You mean, he…?”

“Quite a lot, yes. I’ve only seen the scars a few times when I was explaining remedies he could use instead, I guided him through holding a piece of ice against his wrist and there was plenty of evidence.” 

“I had no idea.”

“Secondly, Deceit did many horrible acts against Virgil. One of the worst being the denial of his sexuality, he was forced into many uncomfortable actions due to this.” 

“Oh, what did I do?!” 

“You had no intention of hurting him. Virgil just needs some time then I’m sure you can explain, but until then I want to make sure that you’re alright.”

“Why? I’m doing better than he is.”

“Are you certain? Seeing him react in such a way can have an effect on one’s mental state.”

“...If I’m being honest, it startled me. I’m more worried about Verge.” 

Meanwhile in a room further down the hall Virgil clung on for dear life as he was held steadily in place, temporarily thrashing against the hold until realizing that it was the paternal male. Halfway aware of the present he pleaded with Patton for protection, which was promised no matter how many times it was repeated to be certain between apologies for the rash reactions. 

“You’re fine, baby,” Patton cooed in a calming manner, for this was not a new sight to behold after befriending the newcomer months ago, “You didn’t mean to hurt me, all you did was leave scratches. See? No blood.”

Anxiously peeking at the visible forearm where skin disappeared behind a teal sleeve, he saw thin white lines etched where a fight had been put up in trying to escape earlier before they had left Roman. Still feeling guilty for harming the only close friend he’d ever had the teen immediately started sobbing all over again, “I hurt you though…”

“No, I barely felt it.”

“I-I didn’t want to be with him again, I thought he was here.”

“He’ll never come back, sweetheart. If he tries the three of us will keep him away.”

“Did I hurt Roman?”

“Not that I could see. If so, he’s had worse wounds from guarding his kingdom.” 

Unconvinced by that claim Virgil was about to argue; that was something he tried hard not to do with Patton since it seemed to upset him even more, but deep down he felt responsible for ruining what was supposed to be their first time having alone time together, yet the attempt was interrupted by a firm knock. Protesting with a whine every time that the man underneath him shifted, the paternal person called out for the visitor to enter so as not to disturb the dynamic the two had worked so hard on.

“Speak of the devil…” Virgil muttered a little louder than intended, ducking down so their eyes did not meet, “S-Sorry sir, I didn’t mean any offense.”

“Verge, it’s just me. No need for formalities, you know that, right?” the prince questioned as small steps were taken until his knee bumped against the mattress a few feet from where the others were curled together against a mound of cushions, “I’m the one who should apologize.” 

“Why? I’m the one who screwed everything up, I seem to still be good at that.”

“That’s not true! We were having a grand time and then I opened my mouth… It was just a joke, but it didn’t come out that way.” 

“How is that funny?”

“Well, not necessarily… It’s more of a unique happenstance seeing as how we’re all in the community somehow.” 

“When you put it like that, I guess…”

“I’ll be more careful from now on, Logan helped me to understand why that was inappropriate. I should have been more mindful of you.”

“Eh, don’t sweat it, you didna’t know any better. Sorry to ruin our afternoon.”

“You didn’t ruin anything.”

“If you keep talking bad about yourself I’m going to physically fight you,” Patton piped up in a stern voice, grabbing both of their attention at the sudden switch in mood when it softened a little afterward, “Nobody talks about my child like that.”

“For once, I don’t mind that threat.”


End file.
